During his rise to political prominence, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) frequently repeated a compelling version of his family’s history that had special resonance in South Florida. He was the “son of exiles,” he told audiences, Cuban Americans forced off their beloved island after “a thug,” Fidel Castro, took power.
But a review of documents — including naturalization papers and other official records — reveals that Rubio’s dramatic account of his family saga embellishes the facts. The documents show that Rubio’s parents came to the United States and were admitted for permanent residence more than 21 / 2 years before Castro’s forces overthrew the Cuban government and took power on New Year’s Day 1959.
"Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio issued the following statement regarding false allegations that he embellished his family’s history:
“To suggest my family’s story is embellished for political gain is outrageous. The dates I have given regarding my family’s history have always been based on my parents’ recollections of events that occurred over 55 years ago and which were relayed to me by them more than two decades after they happened. I was not made aware of the exact dates until very recently.
“What’s important is that the essential facts of my family’s story are completely accurate. My parents are from Cuba. After arriving in the United States, they had always hoped to one day return to Cuba if things improved and traveled there several times. In 1961, my mother and older siblings did in fact return to Cuba while my father stayed behind wrapping up the family’s matters in the U.S. After just a few weeks living there, she fully realized the true nature of the direction Castro was taking Cuba and returned to the United States one month later, never to return.
“They were exiled from the home country they tried to return to because they did not want to live under communism. That is an undisputed fact and to suggest otherwise is outrageous.”
The Miami Herald article was posted in my link to the Fox News post.
I would hardly call Fox News "mainstream liberal media." The original article came from the Washington Post but Fox News thought it interesting enough to re-post.
I think the point of contention is Rubio saying his parents were "forced off" the island by Castro, when they actually left two years before Castro came to power. That's outrageous.
Conservation Voice wrote: The Miami Herald article was posted in my link to the Fox News post.
I would hardly call Fox News "mainstream liberal media." The original article came from the Washington Post but Fox News thought it interesting enough to re-post.
I think the point of contention is Rubio saying his parents were "forced off" the island by Castro, when they actually left two years before Castro came to power. That's outrageous.
